Artsakh human rights defender: it is upsetting that EU refers to Artsakh people as 'Armenians living in former NKAO'

YEREVAN, May 31. /ARKA/. 'It is upsetting that the EU in the face of the President of the European Council Charles Michel refers to Artsakh people as "Armenians living in former NKAO", disregarding the fact of the decades-long existence of their statehood built on the exercise of their fundamental and inalienable right to self-determination,' Artsakh human rights defender Gegham Stepanyan said on Tuesday.

'Such formulations, made intentionally by a union that champions human rights values worldwide, not only hurt the feelings of Artsakh people, but also bring a destructive effect to the peace process over the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, as they ignore its main beneficiary's rights – Artsakh people.

The neglect of Artsakh people's will and interests and the intentional avoidance of using the term “Nagorno-Karabakh” definitely do not contribute to the peace negotiations on the initiative of the EU, but pave the way to the forced subjugation of Artsakh with a sustainable level of democracy into an Armenophobic and authoritarian state – Azerbaijan.'

In a statement on May 30 the EU welcomed the intensification of the Armenian-Azerbaijani normalization process over the last month.

‘The Armenia-Azerbaijan normalization process has, during the past month, seen an intensification, which the European Union welcomes. The EU believes that it is important to keep this historic momentum and avoid steps, including hostile rhetoric, that could put the peace process at risk,' the statement said.

'The leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan also met in Moscow. In Brussels, they focused on several key topics, such as border issues, connectivity, humanitarian issues and the rights and security of Armenians living on the territory of the former Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast,' it said.-0-.